Customer Reviews

Sukhoi Su-7/17/22 (Aerofax)

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Every prototype/variant/one-off is discussed in great detail in this book. Everything about the different variants, who flew/flies them, serial numbers, diagrams... all by the legendary Yefim Gordon. Pretty much the Fitter Enthusiasts bible!

Yefim Gordon has once again delivered a superlative book on Russian/Soviet aviation with this Aerofax release on the Su-7/17/20/22 FITTER fighter bomber. Serving air forces worldwide for well over 25 years, the FITTER family evokes special fondness for many aviation enthusiasts. Published by noted British aviation publisher Ian Allen Publishing, and carried under the Aerofax imprint, this book is a must for your bookshelf.

Gordon offers a treasure trove of pictures, designs, and information gathered from his personal collection and from the Sukhoi OKB. At over 175 pages, the book captures the wide sweep of the program from drawing board to combat in Afghanistan. Included is the design and development of the FITTER from the swept wing Su-7 model, to its swing wing sisters: the Su-17, Su-20, and Su-22. Everything you ever wanted to know about these magnificent aircraft is within, up to and including the degrees, minutes, and seconds of the wing sweep. Details on every Soviet modification and testbed FITTER are also included, as well as numerous photos and line drawings of aircraft that served in air forces across the globe. The FITTER was a widely exported aircraft, and Gordon and Aerofax do the subject considerable justice.

For the aviation enthusiast or for the professional, you can't go wrong with the Aerofax series on Soviet and Russian Air Power. Yefim Gordon is considered the best for a reason, and this book is worth every penny. Highly Recommended.

I have about 1/5th of Yefm Gordon's AeroFax series of books including this particular volume. This is in my opinion tied for best volume with the Yak-25/27/28 family book.

The only issues currently I have with this book is the fact that WWW.AMAZON.COM decided to replace the book graphic with the Upcoming "Famous Russian Aircraft" cover art of the same aircraft family. This is the third or fourth time Amazon has done this to a Gordon Book I own.

If you are looking for a good book on the Su-7/17/20/22/24 family this is the book for you.... until September 2011 when the Famous Russian Aircraft title covering the same family comes out.


While this is not a FRA series book I will use the same grading scale

I am amending all my FRA reviews with the below datasheet:
I weight the last three far heavier than the first three for my overall score

Translation errors (lower score for more errors) 4.5
On topic Data (Better is higher) 5.0
Pertinent comparisons to similar aircraft 4.0
Data errors from table to text (Lower for more errors) 4.5
Aircraft Sub-Variant data breakdown 4.0
Specific data on Weapons carried 4.0 (mostly due to discussion on Delta CW guidance as well as details on Laser Designators other than Proztektor-1)


I hope FRA Su-7/17/20/22 lives up to the standards of it's fore-bearer

Long overdue. A concise review for non-Russians by one of Russia's pre-eminent aviation writers. This aircraft shows how the old USSR developed what was perhaps not the greatest aircraft into a long-lived aircraft that still flys. The only negative is perhaps a little too much detail on development and needing more operational details.

Positives: Most comprehensive, detailed book on the legendary Su-7/17 family I have ever read. It has every fact on the aircraft, its performance, combat experience, structure, engine & weapons an enthusiast would want to know. Excellent photos and quality of paper/binding. Wish it had...: I wish (i) it had more on live combat experience, experience in day to day peace time operations, pilot interviews on what it was to fly like (ii) the writing style was more reader friendly instead of the laboured reading like that of a textbook. Otherwise an excellent semi-technical book for the serious enthusiast.